Pi reviewed When the Night Bells Ring by Jo Kaplan
Review of 'When the Night Bells Ring' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
EN: holy fuck.
holy fuck.
HOLY FUCK.
i feel like this book was written specifically for me. it reminds me of Shirley Jackson's work (like [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89724|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415357189l/89724.SX50.jpg|847007] and [b:The Lottery|6219656|The Lottery|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348757577l/6219656.SY75.jpg|15161007]) for its protagonists and the way it contrasts the "normalcy" of a village with the supposed madness of the narrator. i always love this kind of stories because they show how many people who are preoccupied with morals and tradition can do horrifying things in its name, or how they show their true colors under stress.
the book is divided in two timelines: two women are trying to survive in a near future affected by the consequences of climate change. they stumble upon a ghost village and they decide to explore the mines for water. they get trapped and it seems like …
EN: holy fuck.
holy fuck.
HOLY FUCK.
i feel like this book was written specifically for me. it reminds me of Shirley Jackson's work (like [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89724|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415357189l/89724.SX50.jpg|847007] and [b:The Lottery|6219656|The Lottery|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348757577l/6219656.SY75.jpg|15161007]) for its protagonists and the way it contrasts the "normalcy" of a village with the supposed madness of the narrator. i always love this kind of stories because they show how many people who are preoccupied with morals and tradition can do horrifying things in its name, or how they show their true colors under stress.
the book is divided in two timelines: two women are trying to survive in a near future affected by the consequences of climate change. they stumble upon a ghost village and they decide to explore the mines for water. they get trapped and it seems like they aren't alone. trying to find a way out, one of them sees a diary of a woman who lived there in 1869, so she begins to read it to see if there's anything useful said there. both stories are intertwined perfectly.
i wouldn't say this is a scary book per se, but i felt a great tension that it couldn't leave my body until i finished the it. i think this is because you get very attached to the characters, so seeing them go through the stuff they go through makes you worry about their safety (both physical and mental).
i don't want to talk much about it because of spoilers, but i appreciate the conversation this book has on greed, colonization and the way some abuse their power just because they can and it is convenient for the preservation of their status and wealth.
the audiobook was also quite nice. the voices helped to really feel the tension and the stakes of the situation. i don't know how to explain it, but the woman who does Lavinia's voice does really make it sound like she's from the 19th century.
i also loved the ending, it is quite self-indulgent. it's pretty cathartic, at least for me.
By the way, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
GAL: hostia puta.
hostia puta.
HOSTIA PUTA.
sinto que este libro foi escrito especificamente para min. lémbrame bastante ás obras de Shirley Jackson (como [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89724|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415357189l/89724.SX50.jpg|847007] e [b:The Lottery|6219656|The Lottery|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348757577l/6219656.SY75.jpg|15161007]) polas súas protagonistas e a forma na que contrasta a "normalidade" dunha aldea coa suposta tolemia da narradora. amo este tipo de historias porque amosan como moita da xente preocupada pola moral e as tradicións poden facer cousas horribles no seu nome ou como poden ensinar como son en realidade baixo estrés.
o libro está dividido en dúas liñas temporais: dúas mulleres tratan de sobreviviren nun futuro cercano afectado polas consecuencias do cambio climático. atopan unha cidade pantasma e deciden explorar as súas minas en busca de auga. quedan atrapadas e parece que non están soas. mentres buscan algunha forma de saír, unha delas atopa un diario dunha muller que viviu na aldea no 1869, así que empeza a lelo en busca de información valiosa. as dúas historias conéctanse perfectamente.
non diría que este libro dá medo, mais sentín unha gran tensión que non saíu do meu corpo ata que rematei a novela. isto é porque acabas colléndolle afecto aos personaxes, polo que velos pasar por todo o que sufren fai que te preocupe a súa seguridade (tanto física como mental).
non quero falar moito diso porque spoilers, mais aprecio a conversa que ten este libro sobre a codiza, o colonialismo e as formas nas que algúns abusan do seu poder só porque poden e para manter as súas estruturas de poder.
o audiolibro está moi ben. as voces axudan a sentir a tensión da situación das protagonistas. non sei como explicalo, pero a voz de Levinia realmente fai que pareza que é do século XIX.
tamén amei o final, é bastante autoindulxente. foi bastante catártico para min.
por certo, moitas grazas a NetGalley e á editora pola copia gratuíta deste audiolibro a cambio dunha reseña honesta.